Our Opinion: On board

New trolley service is worth pursuing

A sure sign that investors are betting on the economy to continue its rebound can be found in the tremendous amount of commercial and residential activity from Gaines Street to Midtown and points in between.

New student living and other lodging, restaurants and entertainment complexes are being built.

Areas such as Midtown have already taken hold with patrons piling into the many restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

And with that growth comes the challenge of finding a place to park or, in the event of moving the party from one place to another, a great deal of coordination.

The area between Gaines Street to downtown to Midtown currently houses 44 bars and restaurants, seven hotels, two coffee shops and more all within a five-minute walk of the route being designed by StarMetro planners.

That alone is one of the reasons why the planners behind bringing a trolley service to serve downtown Tallahassee are on to a good idea. Two public hearings were held this week on the proposal and residents expressed strong support for the initiative.

Of course, there are several things to iron out and residents who feel that their communities could be impacted by even more traffic certainly should make their voices heard. The City Commission will take up the issue July 10.

The plan is to offer the service from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. If approved, it could start at the end of July. That comes with a price tag of about $58,000 for this fiscal year. The full year's budget would grow to about $190,000.

But think about the possibilities. If you work downtown and decide that you and co-workers want to visit one of the shops now open along Gaines Street, the trolley can make it more convenient to get there without worrying about parking. The same as if you are downtown at Kleman Plaza and decide to explore Midtown. It just would be easier.

And, while earlier attempts at bringing trolley service to the city had mixed results, this is a new Tallahassee with plenty of momentum for growing existing and new businesses.

A successful trolley service also would bring a tremendous marketing and branding value to Tallahassee and its businesses, especially those along the routes.

This is an idea worth supporting. If it's successful, there could be plenty of opportunities to expand its service.

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Our Opinion: On board

A sure sign that investors are betting on the economy to continue its rebound can be found in the tremendous amount of commercial and residential activity from Gaines Street to Midtown and points in